Electricity conductor unit



July 1944.

J. F. QBRIEN ELECTRICITY CONDUCTOR UNIT Filed Oct. 2, 194i. 2 Sheets-Sheet l @N IQ.

' |NvE NToR Jose/PH O Brien BY H15 ATT NEY are -of relatively heavy, rigid, wires, rods, or tubes, uninsulated at their terminal ends.

The cap member 23, also molded from suitable insulation materials and given any desired conguration to simulate molding or structural trim, has a front, or facing Wall and downwardly depending side Walls between which the base member l1 fitsLand a plurality of transverse Walls 24,

niatchinginnumberf-the Walls It, and grooved to cooperate with the grooves in the' base walls I8 to i'orm passages for thesecurernent of the con7 ductors 20, and complementing the variant height of the transverse walls I8 to provide rior Vthe` stated slope of the conductors.

it will be noted from Figuresodpmm the male projection end 2 I of the unitlis 'an'integral portion of the cap member 23, as is a rear wall 25 at the socket end 22. Said reai'twa11i25l forms a base upon which the male end 2| andthe extending conductors rest. By forming 'the' male endl! and the; rear wall-.25a1s Eintegralv members of the cap,rit is obvious thatjcorrect interiitting oi the male and.. socketends ,ofladjacerit units'- is At the socket .the cap meinberhasanopen top into, which `fits a removable closure plate.

rhaving depending side walls 21 2l anda Vlip 28 tive lpositioniof.theiendwallsand side walls of the clamping members form openings-'ofJsuitable size at` eachend-, `tov` snugly accommodate the respective conductors. 2iof.y .the- `interconnected.

units,4

Referring to frigures 3 and 4,v it is seen that thev conductors 2U vof Ja unit 1 l 0- projectfrom the l end face sof 4the .unit at the .male end thereopthe extentlloiisuch projection, providing for an overl` Y lappingi= offltheflconductors ofl adjacent units-` for means.. L i ..1 A .In..'assembling i a conductor lunit- I, the elec-A tricity. conductors 20 .thereof may be laid-upon f rear Wall 25 of the unit and so position the projecting ends of the conductors 20 that such conductors will slide into and above the clamping member 3l of an adjacent unit.

A feature'of this invention is that the slope of the conductors at the socket end of the unit positions such conductors and the upper clamping device 3l)y thereof above the complementary clamp membergl to facilitate the insertion of the projecting ends of the conductors of an adjacent unit tnerebeneath. Such arrangement simpliiies 'the mechanical operations incident to the electrical interconnection of adjacent units because it eliminates the necessity oimanually raising the clampingmember 3U, or holding said clamping member in raised, position during the stage oi the interconnection of the respective conductors.

Iii interconnecting a succession oi' units IU, one

. unit is placed in position with the cap 2B rethe transverse.walls .24 ofdthecap memberm23. It will be noted that although eacliiconc'luctorA 20.

has-vazlength..substantially equal to the'le'ngth Y ofgthe-,unit J0, the conductorsare arranged to extend suitably beyondr the: male end 2|- ofthe cap,23..,.Theabasemember-41 -is then placed in position andthe `grooves inA the transverse Walls lplthereof cooperate withthe grooves in theiwallsY 24 -in,which...the vconductors Vrest -toV secure saidconductors'against lateral displacemenu- The cap 1 and .base members, may :be fastened together by meansl-of'd self-tapping screws or-the like.- Vr-'I'eiri maybe omitted. f Atthemale i end of a. unit, the

porarily, the tcap 26lat the socket end ofthe-'unit 1 transversedwalls .I8 and--24, respectively, `offlthe basea-andll capimembers` cooperate lwith'i-,he'oriev ductorsupportng- 'surface of the'qnale extension- 2l 'toiassurethattheconductors 29 Aand the -projectings. ends thereof Jardin aparallelismwith" the tsuitable number of units Il may be arrangedi "moved, and the next succeeding unit is aligned withV the first and movedrtovvardv it to bring the projectingconcluctors beneath the conductorsoi the firstv unit. The grooves 29a in thewa'lllu at the socket end oiY the first vunit serve to align, and guide K the projecting conductorsV oi the .adjacentv unit `so Ithat they will pass` under thevv raised conductors oi the iirst unit and. into clamping.'l position, whereupon the clamping means maybe., brought into position to securely clamp; the re- 30: spectiveconductors together over a relative1y,.long

arealci' engagement.` f'he closure plate 26 may, then be piacedin position, to enciosetllecom. ductors in the, area oi' theirattachment. Asappears from; Figures 3, 7; andmthemale.. and socket portions oi' adjacent conductor units, are provided with'rnatchmg apertures through which .a macl'iine.V orgwood screw. may Ibe,y passed v. to secure a run ofunits. to the wall; l'onusewith the machine screw, the under portioncof :theuw socket end may ,be formed. with, aA polygonal :de-L

pression intowhich :thenut 35 irictionallyliits.

Desirably the size oi' lthemachine= screw and., nut is such that a' suitable; ,wood .screw may pass through the nut 35,.rendering it urmecessaryzto .remove the nut in the event it isdesired tosse-` cureithe units by means ofA awood screW.1--=;l -Figures 11k et seq. illustrate anioutlet-provided.- unit il for .seriatiminterconnection with-aI unit, lu or any desired succession of other outlet units.' Saidoutietlunit includesa basemember 4uv formed withtransverse end walls 4h42, and aicentral! f wail es, `between which transverserand central wallsare located bus bars. 44, 44, provided Withl. paired contact. means 45, 45 and, atv the fends; clampingdevices 46,46. i i. d f The cap member 48 is three-sided and sub-"zi stantially hollow,` andY is formed with transverse-- andlongitudinal walls as illustrated,.1t'oprovide* pockets ofl insulation material withinV which *the contactnieans 45, 45 are positioned. fin-suitable* oi' av conventional attachment plugs 1 tis -noted that an end of the cap'member'48` storms a projecting niembertlv and^thatj"at V the opposite end; the cap andbase merlikjierscooperateA to provide a socket 53 complement ry size and'A shape with the projection 51h-j* Y lijf It Will be understoodthatv the proj ectionj'l E .of the.V outlet unit llrm'atches themale projection of the conductor unit l0, and that the socketporftion of such unit I I is designed to receive the male end 2l| of auin't `||J.` Accordingly`,` a unit H may i be arranged intermediate a pair of units l0 or any I zieiiaeisiie contiguityutoi provide. a idesired number Soflzoutlet. faoilitiesu- 'i E f Asiappearssin Figure. 4.4 zioftunit! I L1: terminate shortA of the male end cand..toi..pno...s

vide for the electrical interconnectionioffaiunitf.

lengths: of conductors s 521. are .f employed.A with; the i clampingnne'ans .at such maleiend; said conductors 52'ibeing theequivalenmh spacing vand-position.L tol. izheiextensionsofv the; conductorsA L-'ofte'. `4.unitillill4 Whereas. Ii have. described my. .invention by referencetofspecifc forms thereof, it will-beaunder` invention 1. electricity-i conductor unit comprising, #ini combination,v a-siibs'tantially'holl'owbody-ofelectrical insulation material having top-side,-and base'walls,` a male extension at one end and a complementary socket portion at the other end to aiord male and female interconnection of adjacent units; electricity conductors disposed within said body and extending longitudinally thereof, said conductors, at one end, being disposed on a surface of said male extension and at the other end, disposed adjacent said body socket and elevated above the base wall of said socket and above the plane of the conductors at the male extension; wall means within said body uniformly sup-` porting the conductors in such raised position, and conductor-connecting means adjacent said socket, said connecting. means including an electrically conductive member disposed substantially in the plane of and in alignment with the male end conducto-rs, and an electrically conductive member supported above said first member by the conductors at the elevated ends thereof, the spacing between the members of said connecting means being substantially equal to the combined thickness of the electricity conductors at the male end and the socket end of the unit.

2. An electricity conductor unit according to claim 1, further characterized by the extension of the electricity conductors -beyond the male end of the unit a distance greater than the length of the socket portion of the unit.

An eiectricity conductor unit according to claim i, further characterized by the socket end of' the unit having a transverse wall providediwith means to guide the conductors of an adjacent unit into operative position with respect to the conductor-connecting means of the first-mentionedunit.

4. An eiectricity conductor unit comprising, in combination, a substantially hollow body of electrical insulation material having a base member and a three-sided cap member cooperating therewith to form such hollow body; said cap member having at one end an integral male extension projecting beyond the base member, and at the other end an integral rear wall disposed in the plane of the base member and forming a continuation thereof, said rear wall and the side walls of said cap member cooperating to form a pocket for the accoiimiodation of the male extension of an adjacent unit; clamping. means disposed on said rear wall adjacent said pocket; electricity conductors disposed within said hollow body in mutually insulated, spaced relationship, said electricity conductors being disposed on the rear surface of the male extension and extending therefrom and at their opposite ends overlying. said clamping means; and wall means in said hollow bodygc'foroinsulatedly': supportin'g'.ssaid'v electricity i;

Conductores-1 i. f Y Y.

-. 5. 'Anif electnicityzaconductonunitfcomprising;inf;

cdmbinationg; a substantially"hollowbodyxofseleca trical insulation material, said body includirigra;4`

basermemberianda capimember,A saidV cap {memberehavingfront and'sidewalls ,andrfan; integral extensonfat, ionefend and atits :opposite :end an.;I

'integral rear wall cooperatingwith:thefront and.; side mallsitp iformgasocket.intoi-whicnthe. `extension of an adjacent cap member will fit upon-.the y: scriatieneintereonliecitinn;.ofcadiacentfunits; wall meanszdispsedinteriorly ,of said body,- fand electricity conductorsearranged on; said zwall. Imeanse in@ iitually .iinsulatedispaced relationship, faisaidelectricityf: conductors terminating y,at f .one endsin the zoneio the;rear;wall'offthegcapimember but aboiieitheisuriacerthereof1;andi-supported on and extending beyondi thefintegral extension=ofw,the

2O'.-pQrtiQnsroftheiconductors'beingtgdisposedf in .the

cap member at the opposite end=,xthe;ext,ending.;

` plane of the upper surfaceof the integral rear for a male and female interconnection of similar units; electricity conductors disposed within said body and extending longitudinally thereof, said conductors lying along a surface of said male extension and extending therefrom and at an opposite end being raised above the plane of the base wall and the plane of the conductor extensions at the male end of the unit, wall means arranged internally of said body and supporting said conductors, clamping means at the socket end ofthe body for clamping together the raised end of the conductors of one unit and the extending conductors of an adjacent unit, and removable cover plate means for said hollow body in the zone of such interconnection.

7. An electricity conductor unit comprising, in combination, a substantially hollow body of electrical insulation material, said body consisting of abase and a cap member removably associated, said cap member .having at one end a projectingportion' and at another end a transverse base wall; wall means arranged within said body; electricity conductors arranged on said wall means in mutually insulated spaced relationship; terminals of said electricity conductors disposed on said projecting portion and extending therefrom, terminals at the opposite ends of said electricity conductors disposed over said base wall of said body in spaced relationship therewith; the upper wall surface of said base wall and the lower wall surface of said projecting portion being substantially in a common plane.

8. An electricity conductor unit for seriatim interconnection with like units,` comprising, in combination, a substantially hollow body of electrical insulation material, said body including a base member and a cap member removably associated therewith, a plurality of transverse walls disposed `on said base'member interiorly of said hollowbody, each of said transverse walls being vprovided ,with a notch facing the cap member,

said notches being in alignment; a rigid electricity conductor coextensive with the length of the unit, supported on said transverse walls within the said notches thereof; the bases of said notches being progressively farther apart from said base member to cause said conductor to hava substantiallyuniform;s1op.;with'.respe'ct 7 thereto; and walimeans provided onasaidrfcap., me'rrber` andengageable :with Ys\a.idf..cc` r1ductor kto holdiesaici.j conductor in .1 .-position riwithinii Lsaid=1- notc-hes... e y .electri twconductor uniti as :den'e'difin c1am.8;.further characterized by the cap member.` of: Asaid"-unit'.--haying.an end portion ,lying inl the' plane ioffsaidbase. member and provided withI ad removable *cover rportion .atvsaid L.end `portion :of 1 hevjllrlit',k .ai x j t. L A i 10i An l electricity conductor Aunit as dene'd y in 1 claim gfurther characterized by. the xcapimem-v bexmhavinfgfat one end an extendingfportion lying irithezplane-.of .the `base member.: and alcompleem mentary socket portionat its iotherendf. i u anni :51111 Aeixiizelectricityconductor unitxas dened in L, claim further: .characterized by the. conductor thereof extending beyond'Y at-foneend-thereof. f t. Il. 12. An-eiectricity rconductor nunitV as defined'` ini agita-Boaga claim r8;*` further characterized by theL'conductor thereof being rigid and having a permanentls'et A,

by which? thecfdierence in the planes4 of :said

conductonfat .-:theaopposite endsk of thevunitlis substantiallymniformiz, i3 o 13;"Arife1ectricity conductorunit for seriatimi electricaly conpeotionewithiike units, comprising,

inicombinatiom, a; `'polygonall substantially hollow body` of :electrical insulation material, Vsaid body v including [transverse: Walls. of ,insulation material disposemwithin. said body,y ,each/ wall having. a'n apiertureeonthe; passage oran electricity'con-y ducten, therethrough, the. apertures .of ,successive L wallslbeing substantially in alignment; theaperfr ,.tures through successive transverse wa11s being spaced progressively farther from a common-wall Keren.; planes withrespect. 

